Notifications
Clear all
Topic starter
I may take a job in St. Thomas and am looking at buying/shipping a 1998 Geo tracker 2 wheel drive with automatic transmision. Will this work or do I need a 5 spd, or 4 wheel drive? If I take this job I would be commuting from North side to east end. Thanks in advance. Norman Paperman
Posted : July 25, 2006 2:39 am
Yes. The majority of the cars on island are two wheel.Plenty of 2 wheel trackers around.
RL
Posted : July 25, 2006 11:26 am
Hi Norman,
I agree with Ronnie. A 2WD is all you really need. My husband and I are house hunting on the island and we have been up and down many roads (side roads, dirt roads, paths) in his smaller-sized, 2WD SUV with no trouble at all. The important thing is the ground clearance. It is good to have at least one vehicle with decent ground clearance because many of the side roads and driveways can be very rough and some are unpaved.
If you are a two vehicle household (i.e., if your spouse will also be needing a car) then it is nice to have one vehicle that has good ground clearance and another that is small and compact. The small and compact cars come in handy when you are going down narrow roads and parking in tight spots.
My husband drives an automatic and I drive a 5 speed manual. I personally prefer to drive the stick.
One thing to consider regarding the Geo Tracker, is the availability of parts for this vehicle should you need service. I would think that an eight year old car would be getting to the point to where you might need to be replacing parts. Also, remember that the island roads and salt air are VERY hard on cars -- especially cars getting up there in age.
If you are going to the trouble and expense of shipping a car, I would consider a bringing a more recent model than this. Shipping costs alone will probably be $1000 or more, not to mention all of the various taxes and fees. You are probably looking at total expenses of $2000 - $3000, to bring the car in -- which is something to consider as well.
IMHO, it is most definitely worthwhile to ship a newer used car in with low "stateside miles." I am not sure it is really worth it to ship an older car in, unless it is a car that you are attached to. But there are many different opinions on this issue and it has been discussed before on this board. You will find more info on this subject by doing a search.
One thing to keep in mind is that you probably wouldn't have any trouble finding an older, reliable, "island car" once you get here.
Posted : July 25, 2006 3:51 pm
The Geo Tracker is actually a Suzuki Sidekick which there are ton of here as well as a dealership with parts!
RL
Posted : July 26, 2006 10:56 am
If you choose to buy here I recently purchased my wonderful Chevrolet Tracker, 4 dr, 4 wheel drive. I love it and it takes the hills like a dream. Less than 30K, 2003, silver. I might sell it instead of shipping back to the states when I leave. PM me if your interested. Shannan
Posted : July 30, 2006 2:55 pm